Headlight-actuating mechanism for locomotives.



P. N. TROUT.

HEADLIGHT ACTUATING MEGHANISM POR LOGOMOTIVES.

APPLIUATION FILED DEG. 8, 1913.

Patented Oct. 6, 1914.

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P. N. TROUT.

HEADLIGHT AGTUATING MEGHANISM FOR LocoMoTlvEs. APPLICATION FILED DEQ. 8, 1913.

1,1 12,577. Patented Oct. 6, 1914.

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PETER N. TROUT, OE RANOKE, VERS-INIA.

HEADLIGHT-ACTUATING MECHANSM FR LCDMGTIVES.

T0 all whom 'it may concern Be it known that I, PETER N. TROUT, citizen of the United States3 residing at Roa.- noke, in the county of Roanoke and State of Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Headlight-Actuating Mechanism for Locomotives, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to locomotives and particularly -to the headlights thereof.

My general object is to provide means for automatically rotating a headlight in a plane parallel to the roadbed when the locomotive strikes a curve, this means operating to rotate the headlight in a direction to correspond with the direct-ion of curvature of the track.

A further object of my invention is the provision of gravity operated means operatively connected to the headlight to rotate the latter. this means being of such character that a relatively heavy weight may be used whereby a positive actuation of the headlight will be secured when the locomotive strikes a laterally inclined portion of the track upon a curve.

A further obj ect of the invention is to so mount the pendulum or .weight actuating the headlight that its proper lateral swinging movement shall not be aifected by the grade of the track so that the pendulum shall operate as well upon an up grade or down grade as upon a level.

A still further object is to provide a very simple mechanism to the ends above stated,

readily put in place upon any locomotive, not easily put out of order and readily repaired.

Other objects will appear in the course of the following description.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the forward end of the locomotive showing my improved headlight actuating mechanism applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of a locomotive provided with my headlight actuating mechanism, the locomotive being shown as laterally inclined. Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the pendulum and shaft, the mechanism being broken away. Eig. 4 is a diagrammatic perspective view showing the headlight, the pendulum and the Operating connections between the pendulum and the headlight.

Corresponding and like parts are referred Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed December 8, 1913.

Patented Oct. 6, 1914.

Serial No. 805,388.

to in the following description and indicated in all the views or the accompanying drawings by the same reference characters.

Referring to these drawings, A designates a locomotive of any suitable character and B the. forward frame thereof carryingthe cowcatcher. The headlight 2 is mounted upon the forward end of the locomotive, preferably in front of the boiler upon a vertical shaft or spindle 3; This shaftpasses through supporting brackets t and 5 which shown as projecting from the front end of the boiler, the shaft being shown as provided with a 'bearing member 6 which rests upon the uppermost bracket Il. It will be understood that l do not wish to limit myself to the precise construction illustrated as regards the support for this shaft.

The shaft at its lower end is provided with an outwardly projecting arm 7 and the lower end of the shaft vlis supported below this arm upon any suitable bracket 8 which` is attached to the platform carried upon the front frame. liriounted upon this platform at opposite sides ofthe shaft are the upwardly extending brackets 9, and carried upon each of these brackets are the hori-v zontally disposed pulleys 10 over each of which passes a cable 11. Each of these cables 11 t its forward end is attached to cou the forward end of the arm 7, the pulleys approximately in line with the centers of the pulleys 13. This shaft at its middle carries a rectangular yoke 15 within which is pivoted for lateral movement the upper end of a weight or pendulum 16. The lower portion of this pendulum is relatively large and the upper portion is narrowed to form a neck which extends up into the yoke and which is pivoted thereto upon trunnions 17 or is pivotally connected to the yoke by like instrumentalit-ies.

Extending upward from the weight 16 is the arm 18 which is provided with laterally projecting eyes 19 to .which the inner ends of the cables 11 are attached. yIt will be that the weight lo may swine either in a vertical plane attendi]to,` gitudinally et the loco` "retire or in a, vertical plane extending trai' vehely ot the locomof c The operation o obvious. lllh curve, the nece p bed will cant e locomotive toward the inner side olE 'the curve. '.lfhis will cause the lower end ot the weight to swine' toward the inner side oli the curve, and this will draw upon one oit the cables ll while slachening,1 the other cable, thus causing; the rotation oit the spindle 3 and the consefpient rotation et the headlipg-.it in the same direction the direction of the curve. llfhcn the locomotive has again passed upon a level track, the weight ill swing ach to its median position and thus cause the headlight to be returned to a position where it ywill project the light directly ahead of the locomotive and in line therewith. The de- `@ree oli' rotation of the hea 'llight will, ot course, ydepend upon the degree of swing given to the weight 16.

llt will be noted that inasmuch as the weight it; is mounted in the voire i5 which in turn is rotatably mounted upon the shaft lll, the weight ma ,ving in a vertical plane coincident with tnelongitudinal axis et' the locomotive, so that the weight is always lield vertically disposed. Thus no matter what the grade of the road may be, and whether' the roadbed is inclined downward or upward or is upon a level, the weight or pendulum i6 always has ifree lateral swinging action. llhe forward or rearward inclination ot 'the pendulum i6 will not etlect a rotation of the headl' it for the reason th.; i it will simply act to tighten up upon 'tue cables ll and inasmuch as this tighter 0 action will be the same tor both cables there will be no rotative pull in one direction or 'the other upon the spindle ot the headlight.

lnasmuoh the pendulum is disposed beneath the locomotive, a relatively large and heavy pendulinn may be used which will not be readily affected by any slight rocking ot the locomotive but which will be positively atlected by any lateral cant ot the locomotive. By placing the weight beneath the locomotive, a maximum action of the pendulum is secured and repairs to the mechanism may be readily effected at any time.

rlhere is no intricate mechanism connected with my lamp actuating device, the parts are simple, may be readi y replaced 'when broken and may be readily repaired at any time.

lVhat l claim is:

1. rllhe combination with a locomotive, of a headlight rotatably moiuited thereon for rotation in an approximately horizontal it my im ie locomoJ inclioition of the roadplane, a pendulum swingingly supported below the boiler oit the locomotive and between its sico trames, an arm projecting in line with the loi u Lidinal airis ot the locomotwe and operatively connected to the headlight, flexible connections passing `from said arm to the pendulum7 and pulleys over which said iexible connections pass.

'l he combination with a locomotive, of a headl' it, a vertical. spindle tor the headit rotatably supported upon the locomotive and having a forwardly projecting arm, iositely disposed pulleys disposed one on side et said spindle, a pendulum pivotsupported beneath the boiler ot the locos otive and having an upwardly extending,l arm, and llexible connections passing from said upwardly extending` arm to the arm O the headlight spindle.

rl`ho combination with a locomotive including a boiler and side trames, of a head light, a vertical spindle upon which the headlight is mounted and supported tor ro- `tion upon the locomotive and having a torwardly extending arm, a pendulum swingingly mounted between the side trames of the locomotive and beneath the boiler thereof and having,- an upwardly extending arm, pulleys supported on each side of the locomotive opp site said penduluin, pulleys supported on each side of the spindle opposite the arm thereof, and flexible connec tions passing from the upper end oli' the pendulum above its pivotal point over said pulleys to said arm.

1t., rhe combination with a locomotive, of a headlight rotatably mounted thereon for rotation in an approximately horizontal plane, a pendulum pivotally supported on the locomotive for movement in a plane transverse thereto and for movement in a plane approximately coincident with the lone'itudinal axis et the locomotive, and opn era connections between the pendulum above its pivotal aXis and said headlight whereby the latter will be rotated upon a lateral swinging ot the pendulum relative to the locomotive.

The combination with a locomotive, of

a. headlight rotatably mounted thereon :for rot ou in an approximately horizontal rllhe combination with a locomotive including a boiler and oppositely disposed side frames, of brackets projecting from the forward end of the boiler, a vertical spindle mounted in said brackets for rotation, a headlight carried upon the upper end of the spindle, an arm projecting from the lower end of the spindle, a shaft mounted upon the side frames of the locomotive below the boiler and including a yoke, a weight pvotally mounted in said yoke for lateral `swinging movement, the Weight above its pivotal point being upwardly eX- tended to form an arm, pulleys mounted upon the locomotive on each side opposite said arm, pulleys mounted upon the forward end of the locomotive on each side of said spindle arm, and flexible connections passing from the weight arm over said pulleys on each side to the spindle arm.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

PETER N. TROUT. [L. 5.] Vtnesses:

CHARLIE RossoN, BERT. L. ALLEN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, I). G. 

